Olson Kundig

The old factory building's exposed brick walls are a point of pride for Olson Kundig. For workstations, shelves, and cabinets, they opted for inexpensive, but durable materials like plywood and masonite.

Even in rainy Seattle, the skylight provides plenty of natural light.

Access to tools was an important factor in the redesign. "In our design process, there's a lot of prototyping, fabrication, and model making," says Murray.

Kirsten R. Murray and her team gravitated toward smaller, more versatile workstations.

Movable furniture on the sixth floor can be configured as workstations, bleachers, or open space.

The massive skylight provides daylight and can be opened with a hydraulic system to provide fresh air.

"People wanted more open areas, smaller areas, more physical collaboration, and gathering zones," says Murray.

Large windows afford plenty of natural light in Olson Kundig's materials library.